The management of a restaurant in Racine, Wisconsin, recently fired an employee for reportedly not showing up to work. Following an apparently fruitless attempt to obtain his old job, he then allegedly used a key he kept for after-hours to break into the building. He now faces a felony count of burglary and a misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance in connection with the incident.
It is not clear whether restaurant management provided him the key that he reportedly used to access the building or if he obtained it on his own. If the restaurant did provide the key, it is also unclear whether management made any attempt to retrieve it after the firing.
The day after losing his job, the man reportedly went to the restaurant in the late afternoon, after the restaurant had closed for the day, to inquire about the possibility of getting his job back. It appears that his intention was to speak with the head chef, who was not present at the restaurant at that moment. Reports indicate that the man then accompanied some of his former co-workers from the restaurant to another local establishment. He allegedly did not return after leaving to smoke a cigarette.
Allegedly, security footage from a camera at a nearby pharmacy shows the man entering the restaurant. An alarm in the restaurant appears to have gone off at the same time. It also appears that one of the employees in the group that the man had joined previously then received a call regarding the tripping of the alarm. Returning to the restaurant, the employee reportedly searched behind the bar and found a bottle of whiskey missing.
Employees called authorities when the man showed up to the back of the restaurant again several days later. Law enforcement officers reportedly found a single Xanax in the man’s pocket upon his arrest, which may have prompted the misdemeanor possession charge.
Records show the man scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the alleged burglary case next month. He also faces assault charges in connection with an unrelated incident. People in Wisconsin facing criminal charges may wish to speak with a defense attorney.
